As rural hospitals brace for layoffs and more than 1.5 million New Yorkers face losing health coverage, Senator Chuck Schumer is leading the fight to reverse what he calls the “biggest healthcare betrayal in U.S. history.” His new bill would undo sweeping Medicaid cuts passed by Congressional Republicans and extend tax credits to lower healthcare costs for families.
What’s at stake in New York?
Schumer says the GOP’s “Big Ugly Betrayal” slashes more than $13.5 billion from New York’s healthcare system, putting patients, hospitals, and county budgets at risk:
- 40,000 people expected to lose healthcare in the Mohawk Valley and Central NY
- Cuts will devastate Rome Health, Wynn Hospital, and Masonic Care Community, where up to 70% of patients rely on Medicaid
- Helio Health, serving over 15,000 Medicaid patients, may lose 74% of its revenue
- Home health programs for children and older people face closure due to reduced reimbursements
- Local counties like Oneida will be forced to plug funding gaps, raising budget concerns
“This is a gut punch to healthcare in communities like Utica and Rome,” Schumer said at Wynn Hospital in Oneida County. “We cannot let these reckless cuts stand.”
What the bill would do
Schumer’s proposed Protecting Health Care and Lowering Costs Act would:
- Reverse all Medicaid and ACA cuts in the GOP’s recent legislation
- Permanently extend premium tax credits, which are set to expire at the end of 2025
- Stabilize rural hospitals by restoring critical federal funding
- Prevent local governments from having to absorb billions in healthcare costs
Schumer noted that the average Mohawk Valley couple could see premiums jump 49%—about $270 more per month—without these tax credits.
How hospitals are reacting
Local healthcare leaders across the Mohawk Valley are sounding the alarm:
“This is the worst we’ve seen. Layoffs have begun, and it’s only the beginning,” said Darlene Stromstad, CEO of Mohawk Valley Health System, which receives $118 million in annual Medicaid payments.
“More than one-third of our patients are Medicaid recipients—mostly children. These cuts threaten our stability,” said AnneMarie Czyz, CEO of Rome Health.
“Medicaid is the backbone of our care system. If it collapses, so does our ability to serve,” added Dan Crowell of Upstate Caring Partners.
The ripple effect
- Longer ER wait times
- Higher out-of-pocket costs for families
- Fewer mental health and addiction services
- Staff reductions across rural hospitals and nursing homes
- County budgets in crisis, forced to choose between raising taxes or cutting local programs
Even facilities serving privately insured patients will feel the strain, experts warn, due to overflow and capacity shortages caused by funding gaps.
Political fallout is building
Schumer and Senate Democrats say Republicans are already panicking over the real-world effects of the largest healthcare cut in history—done, they argue, to fund tax breaks for billionaires.
“This didn’t need to happen,” Schumer said. “This was a choice—and now we’re fighting to fix it before permanent damage is done.”
The full Senate Democratic caucus is backing the legislation, which aims to stop further fallout before the ACA premium tax credits expire in December 2025.
Key takeaways
- Over 1.5 million New Yorkers could lose Medicaid under current GOP cuts
- Local hospitals risk layoffs, service cuts, and closures
- Schumer’s bill would reverse all cuts and extend ACA tax credits permanently
- Rome Health, Helio Health, and Masonic Care Community are already under financial strain
- Without action, families in New York will face higher costs and fewer care options
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